Putin, Medvedev may both run for president 2012

[MeMyselfAndI]

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he and President Dmitry Medvedev do not exclude the possibility of joining the presidential race in 2012.
There has been vast speculation about Putin and Medvedev's plans for 2012. Medvedev, an ally of Putin, was put forward as a presidential candidate in 2008 because Putin could not run for a third consecutive presidential term. The situation has changed and the two allies might end up in a face-off at the elections.
"Neither me nor Dmitry... have ruled this out that each of us could be a candidate in the race," Putin told reporters. "We will proceed from the real situation closer to the elections."
He said the decision would have to be made at some point but it was too early now.
"If we make any erroneous indications now, half of the administration and over a half of the government would stop working in anticipation of some kind of changes," the premier said.
"Everyone must sit at his desk day in and day out and 'hoe their field' like St. Francis," Putin said. "We have 143 million people in our country, and cannot afford any disruptions."
He said this was his piece of mind and he wanted to pass it to his colleagues in the government.
MOSCOW, April 13 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110413/163516519.html

And Medvedev who is in Hainan for the BRICS summit (it's Brazil, Russian, India, China, South Africa now, by the way) was interviewed by a Chinese reporter who asked him if he will run in 2012, and he said he'll make a decision soon

MOSCOW - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will decide soon whether to run for re-election in 2012, local news agencies reported, citing an interview the president gave to Chinese news media.
"I don't rule out that I will run for a new term as president. The decision will be taken in the short term, because, as you probably know, less than a year is left," Medvedev is quoted as saying ahead of the summit in China this week, Interfax news agency reported.
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201104121110dowjonesdjonline000 192&title=russias-medvedev-to-decide-soon-on-2012-re-election-bid-report

So... if they both run, who the hell are we supposed to vote for? Another thing, about how democratic Russia is, if you note, no other candidates are even discussed, at least yet :)

[Donkey]

So... if they both run, who the hell are we supposed to vote for? Another thing, about how democratic Russia is, if you note, no other candidates are even discussed, at least yet :)

Maybe you should run. :)

[MeMyselfAndI]

Maybe you should run. :)

No. I don't even want to. If I were to head a country, I'd rather it be a small and homogenous one, like, I don't know, Estonia or something.

Russia... Putin and Medvedev are heros for doing what they do, honestly. 11 time belts, 160 different ethnic groups... I couldn't do that.

There are some prospective figures though, possible 2012 candidates:

Eduard Limonov
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0CNrlGAG0uU/SfYj6qf3r-I/AAAAAAAAQbI/vx1rhBnP134/IMG_5310.JPG
68 years old. Married, two children. Leader of (banned) National Bolshevik Party. Has enormous youth support. Aware of and uses his physical likeness to Lev Trotsky to win over his audiences. Great orator.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Limonov

Says he intends to go for President in 2012
http://www.mosgorteplo.com/en/a2978.html

Millions of young boys and girls in schools across Russia joined the underground National Bolshevik movement in the 2000s. In 2012, many of those will become old enough to vote.

Other possible contenders

Gennady Zyuganov
http://c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000S3vHAW1ftAM/s/900/russia-moscow-communist-demo-ru159340.jpg
General-Secretary of the Communist Party of Russian Federation, number two by seats and main opposition party in the Duma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gennady_Zyuganov

Vladimir Zhirinovsky
http://photos.upi.com/slideshow/lbox/efce4ff9cb1e1382db75bc55914e44c7/MOS2000032402.jpg
Head of Liberal-Democratic Party (also known as KGB Party, as founded by "former" agents and officers of the fine organization who still make up a large percentage of its membership), 3d in the Duma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Zhirinovsky

Those two naturally run as 'other' candidates in every election.

Yuri Shevchuk
http://larussophobe.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/fb557527-5c5f-46e9-9075-7d558efb8714_mw800_mh600.jpg
Rock star. 53 years old. Father, Yulian Shevchuk, Ukrainian by ethnicity, Red Army veteran, lives in Ufa, Bashkortostan; mother, Fania Gareeva, Tatar by ethnicity, awarded medal for 'Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945', currently lives with Yuri, and his wife, Mariana Polteva, in Saint Petersburg, helps care for their two children. Also he has a elder son from a previous marriage who is 19 years old and is currently serving in the Naval Infantry Forces (Russian Marines). Maternal grandfather was a faithful Muslim, even a Mullah (Islamic scholar), according to some sources, died in the Repressions in the 30s. Shevchuk himself is Orthodox Christian, observant one, goes to church regularly.

Shevchuk is famous for his anti-Putin tirade during a concert a year ago, and then also clashing with his face-to-face.
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTA2OTMyMjY5Ng==
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrpoFzBbyMU
http://www.globalpost.com/webblog/russia-and-its-neighbors/shevchuk-the-anti-putin

While he has not voiced any intention to run for President, his fans are almsot demanding it, posters like this are all over the internet and on the streets
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx115/lacshelton/700.gif
'The Government are liars, they don't stand for us! So, our choice must be Yuri Shevchuk! 2012'

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx115/lacshelton/Triptih.gif
'Yuri Shevchuk for President!'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Shevchuk

[Donkey]

Sounds like an interesting array of serious candidates and kooks.

Not to derail your thread, but have you ever thought of standing for local office?

[MeMyselfAndI]

Sounds like an interesting array of serious candidates and kooks.

Not to derail your thread, but have you ever thought of standing for local office?

I don't know... I just don't think it's for me. People here go for mayor or Duma member or something if they are either activists, idealists, who want to try to change things for the better, and I'm too much of a realist for that; or they are corrupted theives who want a high position so they can steal lots of money, and that too is not me (I assure you :D).

[NickKIELCEPoland]

Can someone explain what exactly happens when Russia has a Presidential election. I mean, everyone says it's not done democratically. So what exactly happens? Please explain.

[MeMyselfAndI]

Can someone explain what exactly happens when Russia has a Presidential election. I mean, everyone says it's not done democratically. So what exactly happens? Please explain.

Some votes from other candidates are 'tossed around' and go to the chosen candidate (e.g. Medvedev in 2008). Plus, some candidates who are popular and dangerous to the chosen one are prevented from running in the first place through all sorts of legal or beurocratic barriers and challenges.

[NickKIELCEPoland]

Thank you for the explanation, but I don't understand what 'tossed around' means.

[MeMyselfAndI]

Thank you for the explanation, but I don't understand what 'tossed around' means.

Means some votes are taken from other candidates and 'tossed' to the one who is supposed to win.

[Michael]

Can someone explain what exactly happens when Russia has a Presidential election. I mean, everyone says it's not done democratically. So what exactly happens? Please explain.

The Russian media will also only support the official candidates and will spew lots of lies about anyone the officials don't like.

[MeMyselfAndI]

The Russian media will also only support the official candidates and will spew lots of lies about anyone the officials don't like.

But I think this time may be different. I think Limonov stands a chance. As I said, he has a huge following.

When he shouts out
http://ansar.ru/uploads/imagesb/2010/01/0b485fe9.jpg

his young National Bolsheviks answer en masse
http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/6388/26213.jpg

The NBP is quite clear what they want
http://www.asfera.info/img/spaw/big/01_349.jpg
RUSSIA WITHOUT PUTIN

If they rig the election again, these guys will take it to the streets, just like in Egypt.
http://www.kasparov.ru/images/galleries/45507AD69523B.jpghttp://www.kasparov.ru/images/galleries/45507AFE33A58.jpg

[Greendruid]

1917 all over again?

[Donkey]

1917 all over again?

Not till they take Putin and co out back and execute them.

[Michael]

1917 all over again?

You do realize that the original 1917 revolution in Russia was orchestrated by the Mensheviks - a middle-class driven political party - with the Bolsheviks as secondary supporters.

Once the Mensheviks had overthrown the Czarist regime, the Bolsheviks overthrew the Mensheviks and the rest is a typical bloody mess (and a civil war). Almost exactly the same pattern as with the French Revolution.

[Americano]

I don't know... I just don't think it's for me. People here go for mayor or Duma member or something if they are either activists, idealists, who want to try to change things for the better, and I'm too much of a realist for that; or they are corrupted theives who want a high position so they can steal lots of money, and that too is not me (I assure you :D).

No different than US politics. Money always controls everything regardless of who holds office.

[MeMyselfAndI]

You do realize that the original 1917 revolution in Russia was orchestrated by the Mensheviks - a middle-class driven political party - with the Bolsheviks as secondary supporters.

Once the Mensheviks had overthrown the Czarist regime, the Bolsheviks overthrew the Mensheviks and the rest is a typical bloody mess (and a civil war). Almost exactly the same pattern as with the French Revolution.

The National Bolsheviks are not like Menshveiks or original Bolsheviks either.

National Bolshevism is a political movement that claims to combine elements of nationalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism) and Bolshevism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshevism).[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-Klemperer-0) It is often anti-capitalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-capitalism) in tone, and sympathetic towards certain nationalist forms of communism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism) and socialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism). Nevertheless, National Bolshevism is separate and distinct from National Communism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Communism).
Today, Russia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia) is considered to be the center of National Bolshevism, and almost all of the National Bolshevik parties and organizations in the world are connected to it. Amongst the leading practitioners and theorists of National Bolshevism are Aleksandr Dugin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Dugin) and Eduard Limonov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Limonov), who leads the unregistered and banned National Bolshevik Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevik_Party) (NBP) in Russia.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-1) Influenced heavily by the idea of geopolitics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geopolitics), current Russian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia) National Bolshevik movements propose a merger between Russia, Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe) and parts of Asia, in a union to be known as Eurasia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasia).
The Franco (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France)-Belgian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium) Parti Communautaire National-Européen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parti_Communautaire_National-Europ%C3%A9en) shares National Bolshevism's desire for the creation of a united Europe, as well as many of the NBP's economic ideas. French political figure Christian Bouchet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Bouchet) has also been influenced by the idea.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-2)
National Bolshevism is said to have roots in World War I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I) Germany (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany), where nationalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism) writers such as Ernst Niekisch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Niekisch) and Ernst Jünger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_J%C3%BCnger) were prepared to tolerate the spread of communism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism) as long as it took on the clothes of nationalism and abandoned its internationalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proletarian_internationalism) mission.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-3) This tendency, although minor, continued into the 1930s when it became associated with the National Socialist Combat Movement, a dissident breakaway movement from the Nazi Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Party) which espoused left-wing economics and which was led by Hermann Ehrhardt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Ehrhardt), Otto Strasser (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Strasser) and Walther Stennes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_Stennes).[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-4)
Karl Radek (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Radek) wanted some of the right-wing nationalists he had met in prison to unite with the Bolsheviks in the name of National Bolshevism. He saw in National Bolshevism a way to "remove the capitalist isolation" of the Soviet Union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union).[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-Klemperer-0) Radek had been influenced by the earlier ideas of Heinrich Laufenberg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Laufenberg) and Fritz Wolffheim (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Wolffheim), two Hamburg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg)-based dissident communists whose ideas about a Germany-Soviet Union alliance in a nationalist war against the United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) and the United Kingdom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom) he had previously criticised.[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-5)
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn vs Eduard Limonov

The term National Bolshevism has sometimes been applied to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Solzhenitsyn), and his brand of anti-communism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-communism).[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-Hosking-11) However, Solzhenitsyn cannot be labeled a National Bolshevik since he was thoroughly anti-Marxist and anti-Stalinist, and he wished a revival of Russian culture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_culture) that would see a greater role for the Russian Orthodox Church (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Orthodox_Church), a withdrawal of Russia from its role overseas, and a state of international isolationism.[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-Hosking-11) Solzhenitsyn and his followers, known as vozrozhdentsy (revivalists) differed from the National Bolsheviks, who were not religious in tone (although not completely hostile to religion), and who felt that involvement overseas was important for the prestige and power of Russia.[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-Hosking-11)
There was open hostility between Solzhenitsyn and Eduard Limonov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Limonov), the head of Russia's unregistered National Bolshevik Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevik_Party). Solzhenitsyn had described Limonov as "a little insect who writes pornography", and Limonov described Solzhenitsyn as a traitor to his homeland who contributed to the downfall of the USSR. In The Oak and the Calf, Solzhenitsyn openly attacked the notions that the Russians were 'the noblest in the world' and that 'tsarism and Bolshevism ... [were] equally irreproachable', defining this as the core of the National Bolshevism to which he was opposed.[13] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-12)
National Bolshevik Party

The National Bolshevik Party was founded in 1992 as the National Bolshevik Front (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevik_Front), an amalgamation of six minor groups.[14] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-13) The party has always been led by Eduard Limonov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Limonov). The group's early policies and actions show some alignment and sympathy with radical nationalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_nationalism_in_Russia) groups, but a split occurred in the 2000s which changed this to an extent. Opposed to the Vladimir Putin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin) regime in Russia, Limonov has somewhat liberalized the NBP, and joined forces with leftist and liberal groups in Kasparov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasparov)'s United Civil Front (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Civil_Front) to fight Putin. Some National Bolsheviks are opposed to Limonov's attempts to find allies even if they are pro-Western (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_world) politicians; some have left the NBP and formed the National Bolshevik Front (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevik_Front).[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism#cite_note-14)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/National-Bolshevik-Party.png/800px-National-Bolshevik-Party.png
Their regular flag.

There are so called 'Black National Bolsheviks, aka NB Front, more hardcore, more anarchist
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47760000/jpg/_47760669_009205171-1.jpg
They are against Putin, but hate the West too.
http://img.youtube.com/vi/RGr7v1XkeXc/0.jpg

Their flag is black
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/1/14/800px-National_Bolshevik_Party_black_and_white.png

Than, there are the Limonovcy, a sort of elite militant wing within NBP whose flag is a picture of a 'lemon' grenade
http://adromy4.users.photofile.ru/photo/adromy4/115759555/xlarge/136727971.jpg
Thier loyalty is more to Limonov himself, personally, than to the Party as a whole.

Regardless of allegiances though, they have been protesting together and uniting for events, and will, all of them, probably back Limonov's candidacy.

Recently stormed a army conscription office in Moscow and held it for a couple hours, demanded no more forced military service
http://nazbol.cc/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/kmo_070671_00081_1m.jpg

National Bolshevism has a lot of influence here. Their website, http://nazbol.ru/ the government could not shut down, as they keep jumping from proxy server to proxy server to avoid detection. It is regularly visited by thousands of users.

Their newspaper, Limonka, though banned in 2002, is regularly published illegally online (http://limonka.nbp-info.com/) and copies are printed and massively snuck into schools and higher education facilities.
http://m1.ikiwq.com/img/xl/xYQ1xouk2xXYGZyLEws6Rc.jpg

They are like our version of America's Tea Party, I guess. Only, for young people.

No different than US politics. Money always controls everything regardless of who holds office.

Pretty much why a part of me hopes for a NBP revolution. A National Bolshevik government is a scary thought indeed, but, at least Limonov would end corruption once and for all. He'd simply execute all of them, put them to a wall and machine gun them. Said so himself.

[Americano]

Pretty much why a part of me hopes for a NBP revolution. A National Bolshevik government is a scary thought indeed, but, at least Limonov would end corruption once and for all. He'd simply execute all of them, put them to a wall and machine gun them. Said so himself.

Politics, regardless of ideology, beg for corruption by their very nature. Put someone different in charge and it's only a matter of time before those who prefer controlled power, which demands consistent return on investment, discover and exploit the 'new' leadership. Unless you, as a professed realist, feel history is going to do a 180º turn.

[MeMyselfAndI]

Politics, regardless of ideology, beg for corruption by their very nature. Put someone different in charge and it's only a matter of time before those who prefer controlled power, which demands consistent return on investment, discover and exploit the 'new' leadership. Unless you, as a professed realist, feel history is going to do a 180º turn.

I suppose that's true... Corruption is part of our society now. Even take September 1st, Day of Knowledge, first day of school across the country.

Grade 11 (or 12, where they have Grade 12) boy carries a Grade 1 girl around and she rings The First Bell
http://photohost.ru/pictures/651722.jpg
All nice and cute.

But then, there is another ritual: everyone has to bring flowers for their teachers
http://www.cooperation.ru/_data/pages/0000065/1-b.jpghttp://www.interfax.by/files/comments/2010_09/20100901-114449-665.jpghttp://www.school807.ru/foto/uch1.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2DW_kFM6oWI/TIG-F6eTBmI/AAAAAAAACjk/ZjXP53zilXg/s1600/IMG_8396.jpghttp://www.newbur.ru/assets/images/0000/2609/2609_album_big.jpghttp://education.simcat.ru/school76/img/1265728799_11.den_znaniy,_shkola_N76,2009_g..JPG
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/2937/1class.jpg
http://www.tuvaonline.ru/uploads/posts/2011-04/1301721186_2-sent_.jpg
It has been said that the more flowers your teacher gets from you, better she'll treat you in the school year lol That is how children learn to bribe their way through life... When Russians move to Europe or America, sometimes it it is very funny, you see Russian immigrant children bring flowers to first day of school in their new home and Western teachers so very confused :lol:

[Michael]

I'll put my money on Putin. Don't matter who runs against him, or what office he runs for, he's going to win. :shrug:

He's got leadership charisma. It is a rare and valuable commodity (he also plays nasty when necessary).

[MeMyselfAndI]

I'll put my money on Putin. Don't matter who runs against him, or what office he runs for, he's going to win. :shrug:

He's got leadership charisma. It is a rare and valuable commodity (he also plays nasty when necessary).

True, true.

He's a Judo master, don't forget :D
http://blogga.ru/image/days/2008/10/002_putin_judo_01.jpg

http://www.thehotjoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Putin-Judo-3.jpg

:)